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He Won't Stand for It!

Tom Carroll's Strategy of the Week:San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick made a stand this weekend against oppression and police brutality by refusing to stand for the National Anthem before an exhibition game. “This country stands for freedom, liberty, justice for all,” he said, “and it’s not happening for all right now.” Then he said he would not stand again for the National Anthem until conditions improve.

As far as a strategy to highlight his vision of racism and “oppression” in this country, it worked pretty well, as it hit the media and most Americans now know about his position. But as far as a personal strategy goes, it might go down in flames. Protests have been lodged by fans, players are against him, and Kaepernick’s jersey has been burned around the nation.

We advise strategies that highlight your issue without killing your career. If this goes on for long, the 49er could see protests against him wherever he goes. He could lose his job, his career, and his paycheck. He’s painted himself in a corner, because conditions aren’t going to improve tomorrow.

So what to do? Well, Colin, you should fix a timeline for the protest, maybe three or four weeks. Say, “I wanted to bring attention to the issue” but don’t let it drag on forever and get yourself cut from the team. Say you love the country but just wanted to highlight an injustice. Then you make your point and get out of it with your job. That’s how to handle a crisis.